Rotary well-drilling apparatus



INVENTOR Patented May 10, 1921.

E. E. GREVE.

ROTARYIWELL DRILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED own, 1919 IHII IIIIIIJMH WITNES EDGAR E. GnEvE, or ,BELLEVUE, rnivivsYnvAiv rA. i

' ROTARY WELL-DR L ING APPARATUS.

Application filed. December 22, 1919. Serial No. 346,664.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, EDGAR E. Gnnvn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Bellevue, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Tell-Drilling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in I hydraulic rotary well drilling apparatus,

and particularly to thatclass of' apparatus described in a companion application filed by me on the 22nd day of December, 1919,

Serial No. 346,663.

An object of the present invention is .to

provide a new and improved rotarydrilling apparatus including a hydraulic. swivel structure, a motor, and connectionsbetween the motor and the swivel structure, all com-- bined in a unitary apparatus capable of being suspended and designed tosupport" and operate a drill-stem or drill-pipe in the operation of drilling.

A further object is to provide a construction of the character stated, including an electric motor having a rotative' shaft; a

swivel-stem; and speed reducing means inter osecl between and connecting said shaft an stem. V

In the accompanying drawings, fwhich illustrate an application of my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a derrick and my invention in connection therewith; and i Fig. 2 is apart elevational and a part vertical sectional view of a rotary well drill with my invention. 1

Referring to thedrawings, 2 designates'a derrick of the usual andwell known construction, and 3 rods or cables extending upwardly from the bottom of the derrick to the top thereof. The function. of these rods or cables will be hereinafter described. The rotary well drilling structure issuspended from the top of the derrick by a rope or cable and block and tackle construction i,

of the usual and well known type, thereby permitting the structure to be raised and lowered in the same manner as is now cuss tomary to raise and lower the hydraulic swivel of a rotary well drilling apparatus.

In the embodiment of my invention as shown, I employ a small high speed electric motor, a water or hydraulic swivel, reducin apparatus constructed accordance.

. ingfgears interposed between the motor shaft and the swivel-stem, all embraced in a unitary structure. nates the casing, housing or body of a water swivel structure, and 6 a cap plate therefor; 7 the housing or casing of-an electric motor; and 8 a spacer'casing interposed between the swivel and motor bodies, and connecting the same. The swivel body is provided with trunnions 9 and the entire-structure is supported by a bail 10, which latter in turn is connected with the hook and rope of the rig.

As illustrated, the motor includes rotating armatures 11, fixed fields orstators12, and a rotatable motor shaft 13. Shaft 13 projects downwardlyfrom its casing through cap plate 6 of the swivel casing 5, and car ries near its lower end a gear or pinion 14. Bearings 15 and 16are located, at the upper and lower endsof the shaft 13, the upper bearings 15 being disposed between {an ad- As illustrated, 5 desig- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented llIay 10, 1921.

justable plug cap member 17 and the upper end of the'shaft 13, and the lower bearings 16 between the lower end of the motor shaft and. the upper endof 'a swivel-stem 18. The electric motor designed to be supported on the upper end of the casing 8 and isconneeted thereto by means of bolts 19, the

ing connected with thecover plate 6 of the swivel housing body 5.

Swivel body 5is formed with a chamber 20 designed to contain the upper end'of the swivel-stem .18, the lower end of the motor shaft 13, and its gear 14. Within chamber 20 is also located the means for operatively set of gears 22 and a lower set ofgears 23, said gears being mounted upon the shafts 21. Swivel-stem 18' is provided with a swivel head 24 and also with a gear 25, the

latter being adapted to mesh with the gears 23 carried on the shafts 21. Gear 1450a?- ried near the lower end ofmotor shaft 13, is adapted to mesh with the gears 22.

. lower end ofthe spacer casing 8 in turnbe- I I 'connecting'the swivel-stem to the motor shaft and, as shown, these -means include vertically extending shafts 21, and an upper It will be noted that the gear construction illustrated provides for a speed reduction between motorshaft 13 and swivel-stem 18,

thereby permitting a relatively high speed electric motor to be employed for driving the swivel-stem at the desired speed.

Shaft 13 may be a solid shaft, as shown, Or it may be h l ow, In ei c s th shaft is preferably of the same diameter as the diameter of the swivel-stem 18, and is arranged in line with the said stem.

26 designates an extended sleeve secured to stem 18'; said sleeve slightly overlaps shaft 13 and the upper end of stem 18, and functions to maintain members 13 and 1 8 in alinement. Swivel-stem 18, for a portion of its length, is solid, and for the remainder of its length is hollow; the said hollow portion projects downwardly through the casing 5 and the hollow extension 27 of said casing, and intermediate its ends is provided with openings 28 and its lower end with a threaded portion 29 to engage a collar 30, the latter having driving lugs 31.

In addition to the bearings 15 and 16 referred to, I preferably employ roller bearings 32 between shaft 13 and the motor housing, or member 33 thereof; roller bearing 32*; ball bearings 3 l for the swivel head 24:; ball bearings 35 for shafts 21; and roller bearings 36, the latter being disposed between the swivel-stem and a wall of housing 5.

In practice, I prefer to partially fill chamber 20 with oil, thus providing an oil bath in which the swivel-head, swivel-stem, and the gearing connecting said stem and shaft 13 operate. To prevent the escape of oil from. said'chamber, I employ-an upper packing 37 and a gland 38, and a lower gland 39 and a packing 40. g

ater, mud, etc., comprising the mixture employed in the operation of drilling is introduced to the apparatus from a source of supply, not shown, by pipe 411 and connection f2, the latter being entered in an opening 43 formed in the extension 27 of casing 5. Said mixture passes from connection 12 1nto chamber 43 and through openings 28 into the hollow portion of the swivel-stem, and thence to the drill-stem or pipe, a section of the latter being indicated by the numeral 44.

Means for connecting the drill-stem section 14; to'the lower end of the swivel-stem include a slidable coupling member4-5, having vertically extending recesses 46 adapted to receive the lugs 31, and a second coupling member 4L7 interposed between section 44 and member 45. A. gland l8 and a packing 49 are employed at the upper end of meme ber 45;

The combined motor and swivel structure is designed to be suspended by means of the bail 10, and in order to prevent a rotative movement of the housings or casings 5 and 7, I provide two apertured arms or .members 50 secured to the trunnions 9, said arms being designed to engage the rods or members 3, whereby the rotation 15 prevented.

What I claim is:

1. In a rotary drilling apparatus, the combination with a drill pipe, of a combined mo tor and water swivel structure including a motor shaft, a swivel stem, reducing gearing interposed between the shaft and stem and connecting the same, and mechanism connecting a drill pipe section and the swivel permitting an independent vertical move-- ment of the pipe section relatively to the swivel stem, and means for preventing a rotation of the combined motor and water swivel structure while suspended.

3'. In a rotary drilling apparatus,acombined motor and water swivel structure including a motor shaft, a swivel stem, reducing gearing interposed between the shaft and stem and connecting the same, and a slidable coupling member on the stem.

1. In a rotary drilling-apparatus, a combined motor and water swivel structure including a motor shaft, a swivel stem having a hollowportion, reducing gearing interposed between the shaft and the stem and connecting the same, means for introducing a drilling mixture to the hollow portion of'the stem, and a slidable' coupling member carried on the lower end of the stem. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR E. GREVE.

Witnesses J. M. GnooHnoAN, LOIS WINEMAN. 

